These are not my own, but by a gifted Italian artist/photographer, Paulo Allessio who used some of my old motor racing photos in his recent book 'Formula 1'. Has anyone met his work before? I have several other excellent originals about 13" x 18" which I must get framed...

Crikey, has it really been that long since I last posted?! Sorry about that. It's been an exciting year with lots going on not only on the drawing side but also with Bloodhound where there are now some lovely big, beautifully engineered chunks being bolted together in the workshop. Here's a quick look at some of the things I've been up to...

I got invited to a fun gathering at Tim and Ivan Dutton's amazing Bugatti workshops...

You saw the Webers I sketched for Octane - I'm really hoping that magazines will start featuring regular illustrations again - it was Bob Freeman's work in 'Supercar Classics' that inspired me as a teenager.

Here's the V8GN 'Vitesse' being rebuilt - and undergoing a rigorous lightening programme (lots of holes)...

I've been supplying the odd photo and article for 'The Automobile', and I even got a lovely 3 page autobiography feature. In the same issue I did this digitally painted frontispiece illustrating Ralph Lauren's concours winning Bugatti...

Next up was a fabulous trip to France for the centenary of the French GP at Amiens. I was going to go as a passenger in the terrifying 200hp Darracq but an encounter with a Ford Fiesta meant that we went in a rather more civilised manner - in a Hispano Suiza Alfonso. The first couple of sketches were done on the iPad...

An interesting job when I got back was being invited to do 2 days sketching at New Forest Classic Cars. They basically hand-build E-Types and it was fascinating to see every stage in the process. The finished drawings were then printed out at a large scale to decorate the walls of their new workshop...

... and the last event is a real cracker. The VHRA managed to book the historic beach at Pendine to do timed runs. The sight of 100 vintage hotrods returning at the end of the day was really something special. I mainly took photos but did squeeze in a quick sketch of this Model T racer...

Spent a very enjoyable day at the last event of the summer at Prescott - the Autumn Classic. Such a relaxed event with a terrific mix of machinery. Everything from Bugattis to Choppers, Hot Rods to Vintage Specials. Perfect weather for sketching too (though I did do rather a lot of nattering).

The wonderful curved-dash Oldsmobile which Joy Rainey drove coast-to-coast across America this year. She was raising money for Cancer Research - find out more - and better still make a donation...http://joy-across-america.com

Whistling Billy is an amazing steam-powered racing car dating from 1905. A large patch of blistered paint suggested that it might recently have been 'On Fire Billy'! I wanted to have another go at this unique car (my previous attempt wasn't up to much)

Such a beautiful car - not just the proportions but also the attention to detail - and of course the wonderful aero-engine too. Previously I've only managed a very quick sketch so it was nice to have a bit of time for something a bit more finished (as finished as my work gets anyway)

I'm still enjoying sketching on the iPad. Someone recently sent me a pressure-sensitive stylus to try out. Some of the apps record your strokes so you can play them back again and see the drawing process. Here's a few sketches done from life to try out the new pen...

What a lovely topic for a sketch, Stefan. The old Tea Pot Scammell. Whilst it cannot be more than just coincidence, bearing in mind where you live, but it reminds me of the old haulier in central Somerset by whom I was employed in 69/70 who bought an old Pioneer as a recovery truck. They were rare beasts in those days,other than with the fairground fraternity. I recall it only did about 25/30 mph with its 6LW Gardner. That one was painted a pale lemon yellow. The firm was later bought by Wm Nuttall from ManChester in the 70s and later that became part of the Renwick Group. Their logo was a side view of a beaver, but i suppose the washmarks on the o/s door are just that, and not the remnants of the old firm's logo. A fine shot of a Pioneer is to be seen in Nynehead Books' Lorries Illustrated, from the Roger Kenney archives, highly recommended, IMHO.Roger Lund

What I love about Stefan's artwork is the way they capture the essence of the subject, the way they are pictured reminds me of the later work of Cezanne, works where the whole picture comes together from very little solid content. Maybe it's me, but I've always preferred the drawings of Da Vinci; as well as those by Goya and Ingres; to their paintings.

Cezanne?! Steady on there Bloggsworth - I'm not quite up there with them! I too usually like the sketches most - particularly a page of quick ones - you can learn a lot from them.

Roger - Great to hear about your experiences with a Scammell. It must be great to ride in one - though a tad tricky around the Somerset lanes! This one only had a few patches of green paint on it so I suspect it stayed in it's Army colours all it's life. The 'teapot' must refer to the radiator filler. That was exactly what I thought of when I saw it.

Cezanne?! Steady on there Bloggsworth - I'm not quite up there with them! I too usually like the sketches most - particularly a page of quick ones - you can learn a lot from them.

Roger - Great to hear about your experiences with a Scammell. It must be great to ride in one - though a tad tricky around the Somerset lanes! This one only had a few patches of green paint on it so I suspect it stayed in it's Army colours all it's life. The 'teapot' must refer to the radiator filler. That was exactly what I thought of when I saw it.

Love the line drawings Roy - do you use illustrator for that sort of thing? Fispeed - you're so good at capturing that period feel. Byrkus - I never thought I'd see a tapestry here - let alone a P4! How's it coming along?

I've started my annual advent sketch series. I do a little postcard sized sketch every day and sell it for £24. They're all done from imagination - a good chance to try something a bit different and get some new visitors to the site. This time I'm doing them all in motion - and all in pencil and watercolour...